Automatically translate your WordPress site with Microsoft Translator and WPML. Access over 130 languages at some of the lowest translation costs available today.
What is Microsoft Translator?
Microsoft Translator (also known as Azure Translator) is one of the most cost-effective machine translation engines available in WPML. Using Microsoft Translator, you can translate your WordPress website into more than +130 languages.
Why Use Microsoft Translator and WPML?
With Microsoft Translator, you can:
Automatically translate your entire site in a few minutes
Keep translation costs low—even for large websites
This makes Azure a great fit for:
E-commerce stores
Online directories
Educational platforms
News and media websites
To use Microsoft Translator in WordPress, you need WPML, the most popular multilingual plugin for WordPress. WPML includes built-in support for Microsoft Translator, so you can start translating right away, without dealing with complex API setups or custom development.
With WPML and Microsoft Translator, you get:
Translation Memory – Avoid paying twice for the same content.
Full Site Localization – WPML translates everything: visible content, forms, notifications, and more.
SEO-Optimized Translations – WPML handles metadata, URLs, and hreflang for you.
Compatibility – WPML works with hundreds of plugins and themes. Check our compatible Plugins and Themes directories for the full list of compatibility partners.
How to Translate your WordPress Site with Microsoft Translator and WPML
To use Microsoft Translator, you’ll need the WPML CMS or WPML Agency plan. Compare plans for more details.
1. Choose Which Languages to Add
Microsoft Translator supports over 130 languages, from widely used ones like Spanish and German to languages like Korean and Chinese. WPML allows you to add or remove languages at any time.
Still unsure which languages to add? Start with your most important ones and expand later.
WPML lets you automatically translate all your website content. This includes:
Pages and posts
Custom post types
Custom fields (native WordPress, ACF or others)
Forms
Menus
Taxonomies
Images
WooCommerce products
Page-builder designs (Elementor, Divi, Avada, …)
and anything else you’re using…
You can:
Go to WPML → Translation Dashboard And choose what content to translate automatically with WPML
Enable Translate Everything Automatically from the Translation Dashboard to automatically translate all content as you publish it
Remember that Azure Translator is already affordable. So for both cases, you would spend cents on translating hundreds of words.
3. Review and Translations
WPML lets you review translations before they’re published. This lets you make sure translations are perfect before users read them on your site.
To review translations, WPML offers a front end editor, which shows what translations look like on your page.
WPML Front End Translation Editor
If you’re satisfied with Microsoft’s translations, you publish them to your site by clicking the Accept this translation button. If you want to make changes, you can edit translations in WPML’s Advanced Translation Editor.
WPML Advanced Translation Editor
Don’t have time to review translations?
WPML lets you easily invite other users, like your team members or a professional translator, to review your translations. Users are only given access to the specific content you want reviewed, so the rest of your website (and admin settings) will remain closed off and inaccessible to anyone else.
For example…
If you translated a product page, and want a professional translator to review it, WPML will only share the contents of this specific page with the translator. The rest of your site will remain closed to the translator.
Frequently Asked Questions
What’s the cost of using Microsoft Translator with WPML?
To use Microsoft Translator with WPML, you need automatic translation credits (included in your plan, with more available as needed).
When you buy WPML, you get a free package of automatic translation credits, enough to translate a medium size website into 2-3 languages at no extra cost.
In other words, if you plan to translate your site into just a few languages, you can use Microsoft Translator for free. If you want to translate into more languages, or own a very big website, you can easily get more credits at an affordable price, starting at $0.0012 per word.
WPML uses a declining pricing model, so the more credits you use, the lower the cost-per-word is. Use our cost calculator to get an exact estimate.
How often is Microsoft Translator used with WPML?
Every year, WPML helps thousands of WordPress websites translate their content automatically. In 2023 alone, WPML translated over 2.5 billion words using Microsoft Translator (Azure).
That said, Microsoft Translator accounts for around 14% of the total content WPML translates annually—over 18 billion words in total.
Top languages WPML translates into
Is Microsoft Translator the best option for high-quality, context-aware translations?
Microsoft Translator offers solid translation quality at a very low cost. It’s an excellent option if you’re translating large amounts of content or working with many languages.
However, if you’re prioritizing: – More accurate translations for complex or marketing content – Context-aware results powered by AI – A more natural tone and flow in your translations
…you may want to explore other options available in WPML, such as Private Translation Cloud (PTC), our most advanced translation engine. PTC is designed to provide higher-quality output by leveraging Large Language Models (LLMs) for better understanding of content.
Ready to Translate with Microsoft Translator and WPML?
Whether you’re prioritizing cost or translation quality, WPML makes it easy to get started.
WPML helps thousands of WordPress users translate billions of words each year—whether it’s with Azure, PTC, or other integrated engines. Start translating your site today, with the setup that best fits your needs.
